NEW YORK - NBC News is dropping "Dateline NBC" anchor Stone Phillips in a cost-cutting move when his contract expires at the end of June.

Phillips won't formally be replaced. His co-anchor, Ann Curry, will continue and other "Dateline NBC" reporters will serve as on-air hosts when the newsmagazine presents stories they're working on, the network said Tuesday.

"It's been a wonderful 15 years," Phillips said in a statement issued by NBC. "I'm profoundly appreciative of the many friends and colleagues, past and present, who have been a part of the `Dateline' family. This is a great news division with a bright future. I wish the people of NBC News all the best."

He didn't immediately return a call for further comment.

Phillips was teamed with Jane Pauley, who left NBC is 2003, for much of his time at "Dateline NBC." At its peak, the newsmagazine churned out as many as five episodes a week.

The newsmagazine is probably best known now for reporter Chris Hansen's "To Catch a Predator" series nabbing suspected pedophiles. On NBC's fall schedule, the newsmagazine has only one permanent time slot  on little-watched Saturday night. It will be on three times a week in June.

NBC News has been restructuring to cut costs. Earlier this spring, it didn't renew the contract of "Nightly News" weekend anchor John Seigenthaler.

The Phillips move was similar in that the network is concentrating money on reporting and more versatile personalities. Seigenthaler, for example, was replaced by Lester Holt  who's also host of "Weekend Today." Curry is a newsreader on "Today" and reporter for "Dateline."

Stone Phillips to Leave ‘Dateline NBC’
By Michele Greppi
Stone Phillips is leaving “Dateline NBC,” the television news magazine he has co-anchored since it debuted in 1992, and NBC News at the end of June.

Story continues below...

Ann Curry, the news anchor for “Today” as well as Mr. Phillips’s co-anchor since May 2005, is not expected to get a new “Dateline” co-anchor. There have been discussions about having correspondents that are heavily invested in certain projects, such as “Today Catch a Predator’s” Chris Hansen, playing an anchor-like role when their reports air.

“Dateline NBC” executive producer David Corvo conveyed the news Tuesday morning to a meeting at which Mr. Phillips said management had informed him of the change a couple of months ago.

Mr. Phillips’s career twist, following closely on the recent exit of weekend “Nightly News” anchor John Siegenthaler, comes as NBC News tightens its belt and demands more of its on- and off-camera staffers.

“It’s been a wonderful 15 years. I’m profoundly appreciative of the many friends and colleagues, past and present, who have been a part of the ‘Dateline family,’” Mr. Phillips said in a statement released by an NBC News spokesperson. “This is a great news division with a bright future. I wish the people of NBC News all the best.”

The spokesperson also released statements from Mr. Corvo and from NBC News President Steve Capus, who credited Mr. Phillips with a long list of accomplishments.

“On behalf of ‘Dateline,’ and all of us at NBC News, I want to extend my thanks and appreciation to Stone for all he has contributed to NBC News during his tenure here,” Mr. Capus said. “His work on ‘Dateline’ over the past 15 years has been remarkable, as evidenced by the unprecedented awards Stone and the program have won, including 39 Emmys and four Peabodys. He is a first-rate journalist and a dedicated professional whose legacy here will live on with the program he established and cares so much about.”

Mr. Phillips joined NBC News to co-anchor “Dateline” with Jane Pauley after12 years at ABC News.

“Viewers know Stone as a great reporter and anchor,” Mr. Corvo said. “But his co-workers also know him as a loyal leader and patient mentor. At ‘Dateline,’ we’ll miss the passion he brought to his work, and will do our best to live up to the standard he has set.”

6
posted on 05/22/2007 12:53:13 PM PDT
by abb
(The Dinosaur Media: A One-Way Medium in a Two-Way World)

IMHO I think they dropped Stone because he is not “touch,feely” enough for today’s audiences. People want feeling, the sympathetic sounding voice with personal and pitying sounding words sent out in a pitiable way. Stone reported the story, no elaboration and with no identifying touchy, feely words or body language. In my second humble opinion, I think he is the most handsome man ever to be a reporter for the MSM. Good luck Stone!

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